管理提醒：

MALTA is a developing country. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Mintoff, the Maltese Government and people have in recent years achieved new successes in safeguarding national independence and state sov¬ereignty and developing their independent national economy. In international affairs, the Government of Malta has pursued a policy of neutrality and non-alignment, dared to oppose power politics practised by the superpowers, actively supported national-liberation movements and stood for the strengthening of the unity between European and Third World countries on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, thus making a useful contribution to the struggle of the people of the world against hegemonism.

The contention of the superpowers for spheres of influence is the cause of world intranquillity today. Everywhere they prate about detente, but actually they are both preparing for war. In the Mediterranean region, too, they have been stepping up their contention and creating troubles in recent years, befouling the atmosphere of this beautiful blue sea. It is only natural that Malta should be concerned for the security of the Mediterranean, in whose centre she is situated. Prime Minister Mintoff has rightly pointed out that European security is impossible without Mediterranean security. The Maltese Government holds that the countries bordering on the Mediterranean should get united and free themselves from superpower control so that their peoples may truly become masters of the Mediterranean. This is a just call, which the Chinese people sincerely support.

At present, the world is undergoing a great change, and the situation is developing in a direction favourable to the people of the whole world. Like a dying lamp running out of oil, the old international order based on imperialism, colonialism and hegemonism is about to collapse, Countries want independence, nations want liberation, and the people want revolution — this current is surging forward and mounting continuously. Beset with troubles at home and abroad, the super¬powers are in the grip of a crisis from which they cannot extricate themselves. The Third World has become stronger than ever and is playing an increasingly significant role in the international arena. Hegemonism and imperialism that subject others to their bullying, op¬pression and aggression are rotting with each passing day, while things are getting better daily for the peo¬ples who suffer from their bullying, oppression and ag¬gression.

Everything in the world tends to turn into its opposite. This is a law of nature as well as of human history. We are convinced that it is the Third World and the people of all countries that are really powerful, and that so long as they strengthen their unity and persevere in struggle, they will certainly win still greater victories. The whole world will surely belong to the people.

Although China and Malta are separated by many mountains and waters, our two peoples are linked by similar historical experiences. We are both developing countries and face the common tasks of safeguarding national independence and developing the national economy. Prime Minister Mintoff's successful visit to China in April 1972 opened up a new chapter in the friendly relations between China and Malta. In the last years, the relations between our two countries and the friendship between our two peoples have developed satisfactorily. We believe that Prime Minister Mintoffs current visit to China will surely make a new contribution to further strengthening the friendship between our two countries. We sincerely wish complete success to Mr. Prime Ministers visit.